Lessons from the world of Gambling

"Whenever society creates new avenues for rapid profit—or when regulation lags behind innovation—criminal networks are quick to exploit the gap. Gambling is no exception. From the early days of underground betting houses and illegal boxing rings to today’s sophisticated online gaming platforms, organized crime has long had a hand in the gambling industry." This quote from the article included below, sets the scene for this blog.

While the article focuses on financial crime within the gambling sector, it's prudent to recognize that the same principles can be applied to many other areas. Similar to how the Mafia "captured" or "hijacked" the gambling industry for their illicit activities by investing heavily in developing Las Vegas and casinos across the U.S., turning the gambling sector into a powerful tool for laundering illegal money—both during construction and operation—this method can similarly be used by them or other criminal organizations in various entertainment or commercial industries.

All it requires is the collaboration of unscrupulous or at least ignorant operators within different business and government sectors to convert large sums of illegal funds into seemingly legitimate enterprises. Once these are "cemented"—excuse the pun—into the traditional brick-and-mortar environment, it is a short leap to expand into e-commerce and digital channels, much like the transition from physical to online gambling.

I hope this article offers a fresh perspective on the subtle methods of criminal enterprises and how they operate in plain sight.

Gambling & Casinos laundering in the US.pdf

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